Book Review: Still The Shadows – Author Elizabeth Fields

Still The Shadows
By Elizabeth Fields
117 Pages

A collection of four short stories with a common theme of the macabre.

Flypaper: A young couple’s car breaks down and they seek help in the most precarious of circumstances.

The Apartment: A first person account of one woman’s experience with malicious spirits.

Cinnamon: First person point of view in how one young woman’s obsession with exterminating a spider goes awry.

The Change: Ezra copes with a relentless blood thirsty society in the only fashion he can conceive to survive.

Author Elizabeth Fields has compiled an exquisite collection of disturbing tales to whet the appetite of even the most cynical of horror readers. Each tale manages to tackle difficult and controversial subject matter yet doesn’t come across as subservient or preachy. The subtext of denial in bereavement found in Flypaper is effective and bone chilling at its finest. On a subconscious level the reader is lured into the rapid decent of Jameson’s madness and ventures forth in a frenzy, page after page to determine what fate becomes for our protagonists. The action and plot escalation swiftly evolves to out of control proportions certifying this collection a must read for one and all in a short attention span society.

The Apartment was an enjoyable read. Arguably the execution comes across as a little clumsy. The first person point of view in the eyes of Sarah is a bold endeavor that could have been delivered in a more emotionally fuelled style. The reader senses that the tale is perhaps more reported than shown. Don’t get me wrong the entertainment factor is most certainly still prevalent but there is so much more that could have been done by accentuating more inner emotion and action. The reader would get behind Sarah’s plight much more and the end result in my eye would have resonated in a much deeper way. It’s strictly speculation but one has to ponder if perhaps The Apartment would have maximum impact if told in third person point of view. Still the descriptions were vivid, painting an illustrious picture of dread and unease. I was especially fond of the open ended climax enabling readers to determine what may or may not happen next.

In Cinnamon, Fields seems much more comfortable in the first person point of view style. The main character’s inner thoughts and emotions are highlighted effectively. Our impressions and reactions to her conflict are developed in a much more natural, empathetic way. The very common fear of arachnophobia harnesses a vast audience and will lure a wide demographic being able to relate.

The Change is arguably the author’s piece a la resistance. A great deal of polished writing is show cased here. Dialogue is executed in a realistic, relatable manner. Each of the characters or likeable and easy to get behind. Even the antagonist in this story is one to make your skin crawl and beckon for a swift demise in his evil misgivings. Although there are traces that are eerily reminiscent of the True Blood series, the elements are merely influential and I highly commend Fields for composing such an original premise.

I’m always intrigued to charter the waters of new literary endeavors and I would most definitely embark upon further odysseys into the page with one Elizabeth Fields.

For additional titles and order information check out www.elizabethfields.net